


He is yet a boy

by orphan_account



Category: Hollow Crown (2012), Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)
Genre: Beware, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, i don't know what this is, it's just something, ooc, ooc because I never watched the movie and the series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-14
Updated: 2012-09-14
Packaged: 2017-11-14 05:25:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/511788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eric is confused by how his relationship with Hal never seems to be 'normal'.<br/>A different day with Hal cleared all of his confusions eventually.</p>
            </blockquote>





	He is yet a boy

**Author's Note:**

> There is some serious OOCness because I never watched the movie or series. (I didn't get the chance to watch the movies in the theatres, nor did I watch the series because I wasn't allowed to download it.)  
> I'm very sorry for my bad English, and there might be errors in the usage of certain words.  
> I've tried my best to clean this up (with a darling friend of mine who is so lovely for helping me to read this again). I do hope you could enjoy it, at the very least.  
> Thank you!! :)

They say he is arrogant and immature. He says he is merely lonely and bored.

They say he is audacious. He says he is adventurous.

They say he is a prince. He says he is a boy.

They said nothing of this. And he continued.

A boy that needs love and care that none offered him before.

———————————————————————————————————————-

He sips his ale slowly, as he focuses his eyes onto the entrance of the vile tavern, on every men or women that steps through it. He knows that his action might catch the eye of the others. Every sane human surviving on this wretched land, currently needs to be conscentious to the minute. 

Which is pitiful, for the people are like scurrying rats in their own homeland.

Ever since the reign of the Queen, everybody is striving painfully along the dirt and dust, aching for food to fuel their growling hunger, while at the same time, terrified of certain telltale minors that lurks in the dark. They fear that their words would be heard or twisted, just so that the Queen’s men could imprison them, torture them until death is sweetly desired. Anybody could be changed into a misogynist or inane rebel in a split second, just so one could gain gold for the ignoble treachery.

But he could not put out the flickering flame of anticipation that is spreading across his heart. It’s been far too long since he felt so. Long before the Queen’s crows start taking over the once fertile land, long before Queen Eleanor’s death. 

He was younger then, vigilant, bold and met the fair lady named—-

“You’re early.”

A soft, melodic voice that clearly belongs to a man, pulls him back to reality. He blinks his eyes a few times for the sudden intrudence, before gazing onto the person. He furrows his eyebrows as the person is standing right in front of him, with his arms crossed. He looks higher, and sees the smirking face that is paired up with quite delicate features.

He’s here.

Eric looks to his left instantly while nervosity slowly consumes him. He could practically feel the unwavering gaze of the young man on him, and imagine the thin eyebrows raise in amusement. He knows how he looks like now, similar to a swooning maid on her very first outing with her dream prince. Eric wince at the almost revolting thought. Clearly, he would never be the giggling damsel in any of his lives.

He clears his throat, and decides to break the silence and the almost uncomfortable stare focused on him.

“Well then, since you’re here, we might as well get you something to drink. Tavern keeper—-” He was interrupt when a bony hand slid to his shoulder. 

“I would very much not have my ale today.” He added with a self indulgence grin.”I seek your company somewhere else.”

It is as if he wants to seek for other entertainments that does not involve him end up reeking of cheap ale.

Which is quite unbelievable.

Is this an _imposter?_ He thought.

Or maybe he hit his head hard enough in the morning to do something rational for once.

Eric thinks of it so, and contemplates the (usually low) possibilities of why would the usual bacchanalian man today seems so out of character.

He tries to talk himself out of the options that this might be a trickery of the Queen. Perhaps Hal is interested in something normal for a change. And not in some sort of riot that might get himself killed.

Eric would love to ask why. But he has no power to question this peculiar man, even though Eric is quite a few years older and much more rational.

For now, he is his (fully in debt) employer. And he is not supposed to be curious at all. 

He finishes his ale in a gulp, and place the tip on the table. Naturally, it would be Eric leading the other man, to places he desire to visit or cause a ruckus.

But today does not seem like any other days. The young man walks a few steps in front of Eric, and Eric had none to argue but to follow his footsteps.

Perhaps today is a special day.

He thought as they stepped out of the dark tavern and greets the white sunlight.

———————————————————————————————————————

Hal is in a good mood perhaps. A good mood that differs from his drunken, slurring mess, and more to the normal lighthearted state.

They did not engage in any conversation, and by the strides that Hal is taking, he has no interest in constructing one too. This is the abnormality for the usual garrulous him. 

They walk around the market, and Hal takes an apple or two, simple delicacies or trinkets he fancies as he pass by. Leaving Eric to pay the grunting stallkeepers, one by one until Eric’s pockets are empty and practically needs to make a vow to repay in the near future. 

Eric didn’t complain anything though. He never complains. Not to certain people anyways.

It is quite true that Hal’s now reckless spending is reverting him to nothing now. But he would not quite worry about his financial status that much. Though Hal does make fake promises quite often, but Eric takes them all in without any remarks. Not openly at least.

The truth is, he does not detest Hal’s actions.

He sees Hal as something quite rare and endearing. This is possibly quite flabbergasting, since not much of people would ever regard the arrogant prince as an admirable character.

But Eric think of it differently.

He feels like he’s pampering a child he never had.

His heart thumps dully as he thought of this. He shakes his head and tries to take his mind off of this.

So he follows Hal closely, and starts to stop Hal whenever his nimble fingers start touching the goods again.

——————————————————————————————————————-

They went to Eric’s cottage at midday. Hal took a seat on the steps, and indicates that Eric should do so too.

Eric stood there for a moment, and tries very hard not to scrunch his nose.

Hal is asking him to sit on his steps, and not enter the cottage that contains furniture, such as chairs to sit properly.

Basically, Eric frowns at the thought that the visitor is asking him to take a seat on his very own dusty steps, and not inside his home. But he decides that this is Hal, and no common sense is needed to handle this man anyway. Not today, at least.

He sighs internally.

He sits right beside him, but not that close until their arms touch.

He observes how Hal performs his almost astounding acts on raking out all the goods they bought from the market, from every part of his attire. From his fitting jacket to his tight trousers, it is a wonder he could stash all of them without any discomfort.

He hands over an apple, (which was in his jacket, so that’s why there was a slight bulge in front of his chest previously.) and stares straight into the forest.

The atmosphere is getting heavier by the second, the crunching sounds of the sweet fruit made by Eric makes it even more disturbing. He needs to slow down his munching just to relieve the oddity of the situation.

“I think I like it.” Hal breaks the silence suddenly, and for the second time of the day, to start a conversation. 

Eric stops his munching, and swallows.

“Like what?” He asks.

“Today. I like it.” Hal seems to have lost his usual fluid flow of words. He stops for a second, and takes a deep breath. “Well, not all of it. Just. Now, like this.” He continues with a twitch of his eyebrows.

Eric looks at the pretty side face blankly, trying to suppress the odd fluttering butterflies that is bumping around his heart. He does not know what Hal means, but somehow, he could too. 

“… You mean like us sitting here, doing nothing, and talk?” Eric says awkwardly.

“Yes.” Hal answers while facing him now. His eyes twinkles with some sort of emotion Eric could not grasp. “Though you might see this as a joke, but I do adore moments of peace quite a lot. Without those revolting smells of ale and filthy men, or those dirty wenches that is.”

“… I thought you adore those moments. You enjoy yourself quite a lot. Last time.” And what a sight it was.

“… It was an interesting encounter, that I could not enjoy while I was getting almost clawed apart by the ghastly woman.” Hal adds with a grimace. He wouldn’t even regard his stepmother properly. “I see of it as a step closer to understand how the lower class indulge in their entertainment, whilst they are in such hardship.” He ends the sentence with his usual charm. 

If it weren’t for the smirk and witty tone, Eric would have believed in his “efforts”. 

And perhaps even eye this dangerous man with a half joking, cautious glance.

But he grins instead, lighting up his usual expressionless face with his long lost smile.

Perhaps this startled him.

Those sharp edges on the beautiful face starts to soften. Hal stares at him with those quixotic sapphires, full of surprise.

This made him thought that he actually did something wrong. Did he?

Everything around them stood still. Nothing could be heard now. The invisible walls starts building themselves to shield them from any disturbance.

They hold onto their breath for the sudden change of atmosphere, and slowly, the pale face leans in.

Eric could move if he wanted to. But he didn’t. He didn’t even budge.

_You want this._

_  
_Their lips touched.

 _It isn’t a prank._  He thought. Not now. _Please._

The sensation is odd. It is different from kissing a woman. But not that much of a difference.

Perhaps there shouldn’t be any difference. There is still the tiny sparks. But maybe it’s because it’s Hal that’s doing this, that makes it unable to be simply depicted by words.

He never thought there would be a day that he would kiss any men at all. He’s not a queer. Just the thought of it makes him nauseous. 

But no. Hal just had to change everything.

Those thin but plush lips presses his softly. Pausing to swipe his tongue on Eric’s warm lips, and continues to close it with his. The kiss was sweet, with both their mouth taste of apple, and in Eric’s case, a hint of ale. Hal did not try to kiss him like he kissed the wench previously, it’s more like he was trying to taste. To construct a value for the sudden change of their odd relationship. He wants to make the change at it’s very least, notable perhaps.

He explored his, and he explored his.

They stop shortly, as Hal pulls away and nips onto Eric’s bottom lip. Eyes wide like a doe’s, staring innocently into Eric’s. His face is flushed with a rosy pink. Their breath a bit ragged.

He looks adorable. Gullible even. Eric feel like touching the face, to see if it is really that innocent, if it is what he never saw.

But something comes too quickly for liking in Eric’s mind. His sense is not dulled just yet. Along with his slight disbelief for this sudden intimacy.

He wants to know, if this is real.

“Was that just another experience?” Eric whispers as he grasps onto Hal’s lithe waist. Feeling the velvety leather, he try not to pressure his own thoughts onto Hal too greatly. He knows how fragile he really is. Despite his flamboyant personality and witty remarks, lies a small boy craving for attention.

It is now that Eric discovers his pamper for this boy, is breaking every single borderline he had. And perhaps, to let him acknowledge he is fully ready to move on without constantly reminiscing of the past.

But he still have certain insecurity to every single thing that links him with the boy.

The status, the age, the rebellion.

He could crawl over all of this, if only Hal could just say something that could ease the pain—-

“It wasn’t.” It’s like after hours of silence, and a small whisper sails through the thin air. Those long and thin fingers coming to his hair, and tugs on those strands like they’re a toy.

“Then what was it?”

Hal closes his eyes, shadows formed under the thick eyelashes. His brows knits together for a while, and then he opens his eyes again.

The mischievous glint returns, just when Eric thought they were lost today.

He could almost sense the answer coming would be another witty sentence, but what he did not know is how his hair is yanked suddenly.

Before he could gasp in pain, the purring voice rings in his ears.

“Give me another kiss, and I might grant you the correct answer, my Huntsman.” Hal touched their foreheads together, and taunts Eric by brushing the tip of their nose.

Eric does not complain to anything Hal does. Thus he does not complain to this too.

He grins again, this time wider.

“Of course, my King.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!!
> 
> My tumblr account: www.hallulawy.tumblr.com


End file.
